Etc.

September 25, 2007

Among its other functions, the 32-year-old Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit urban planning and design organization based in New York and publisher of "The Great Neighborhood Book," likes to salute the best parks, markets, buildings, streets, and even college campuses in cities and towns around the world. Recently, it cited five superlative North American neighborhoods. The top choices in each category:

New neighborhood

Pearl District, Portland, Ore. Converted industrial zone is now a stylish address built around a new streetcar line

Revitalized neighborhood

Chapel Street, New Haven, Conn. Renovated theaters for road-testing Broadway plays have revived urban landscape across from Yale University

Hip neighborhood

The Plateau, Montreal Working-class district that has evolved into a cultural hotbed of cafes, shops, and entertainment venues

Small-town neighborhood

Division Street, Northfield, Minn. Historic downtown is so "full of energy and charm" that one could "spend an entire day checking it out"

Shopping center neighborhood

Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, Mo. Fountains, plazas, hidden parking, and Spanish-style architecture give America's first shopping center its special character